‘Sophia’ came to me by a slightly circuitous route. I initially had my eyes on a 1969 Fiat 850 Sport:
^ Unfortunately, the timing of the long distance negotiations saw her slip through my fingers to another lucky buyer.
My attention then turned to an imported 1973 Fiat 850 Sport Spider in original LHD. This model was the ‘Frog eye’ version and was as cute as a button:
^ This time, I just couldn’t pin down the USA-NZ compliance history to my satisfaction, so very reluctantly walked away. However, I did so knowing of a couple of Spiders for sale.
I’ve always loved Italian automotive design and I think it’s fair to say I fell in love with the lines of this Fiat 1982 Spider 2000 quite heavily – I’m still pinching myself that I now own an example!
My wife and I are now intending to join the local Fiat/Lancia club, to add yet another dimension to our social life.
I’m stoked to find this friendly site. I’m sure I’ll appreciate your insightful info and good humour and look forward to participating.
Oh, and I’d love to hear from any other Kiwi members!
Tony. (Yes, yes, I know…)
